A shipload of colonists is crossing the void from Earth to Alpha Centauri. It’s a 300-year trip, and 17-year-old Amy, one of the 100 frozen passengers, is awakened long before their scheduled arrival. Lauren Ambrose imbues Amy with all the passion of a headstrong, independent leader who faces down incredible challenges as she adjusts to a new world full of strange people and values. Ambrose’s pacing and timing are outstanding. Carlos Santos is less exciting in his portrayal of the only other teen on the ship, the expedition’s next leader. But he’s a child of the controlled culture of the ship, so Santos’s understated performance works. The narrative has heroine and hero alternating chapters, a story structure that works well.
Young AdultPub Date: Jan. 11, 2011
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781101484425
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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